MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media Thesis Screening 2026

The fourteen students in the 2026 class of the MFA Photography, Video, and Related Media program deploy a variety of mediums and techniques but are unified in their dedication to looking closely at the real world—veering away from fictional scenarios toward research and documentary practices. Many projects focus on archives and bureaucracy: multiple artists use paperwork as either a conceptual gambit or a literal component of their works, complementing others who appropriate images and stories from family, scientific, or political histories. This broad emphasis on systems of knowledge intersects with a recurring interest in institutions and technologies that govern how we navigate our physical and societal environments. Whether through physical mark-making, humor, or dreamlike scenarios, a number of artists disrupt and critique these conventions in deeply personal ways. This sense of intimacy extends into several projects that tell true stories of people who persist in simply living their lives amidst a range of difficult situations.

Elephant in the Room | Malik Clement

Malik Clement’s Elephant in the Room is a short film of comedic vignettes that highlight the complex social interactions people of color undergo in creative fields. Clement, the film’s sole actor, shapeshifts across each section of the piece, taking on different demeanors, accents, and modes of self-presentation, at times even breaking into multiple figures who fade in and out of visibility. From a canned standup routine to an in- depth history of codeswitching, his monologues continuously break the fourth wall, implicating the audience in an ongoing process of defining the artist’s position before the camera.

Wait and See | Tatiana Kireicheva

Tatiana Kireicheva’s Wait and See is a 50-minute essay film that unpacks contemporary Russian culture through a semi-fictionalized narrative spanning three generations. Guided by a voiceover from an unseen protagonist, the film brings together documentary interviews and observational footage documenting slices of everyday life in Russia and the United States. Together these materials weave a dreamlike portrait of society under an authoritarian regime, where history is repurposed and truth distorted in order to normalize a political agenda. By making these operations visible within the frame of a personal story, Kireicheva’s film offers a compelling call for shared resistance.

Introduction and thesis descriptions by Nat Troutman.

Schedule:
Doors Open: 5:30pm
Event Begins: 6:00pm

Ticket Information: 
Free and open to the public.